USA Canada region: All BC Alberta Central Ontario Quebec Atlantic

trailpeak sea kayaking routes in North America

trailpeak kite boarding, wind surfing and surfing locations in North America

trailpeak canoeing and white water rafting and kayaking routes in North America

trailpeak mountain bike trails in North America

trailpeak rock climbing routes in North America

trailpeak crosscountry skiing trails in North America

trailpeak backcountry skiing routes in North America

trailpeak snow shoeing trails in North America

Eaton Lake

Eaton Lake near Hope Slide, BC

Print page Email to a friend New Trail View

This trail was given a rating of 4 out of 5 stars

13 kms
5hours
difficult
Hiking
Summer
Hope Slide, BC

mountaingirl

LARGER MAP

After lulling you into a false sense of security in the first 10 minutes or so, the trail starts climbing (gaining almost 3000 ft in elevation in only 3 km, in fact.) After about 15 minutes you come to the first bridge, and a magnificent waterfall. Eaton Creek positively roars almost the entire way down from its inception at Eaton Lake and you get several views of it along the way which can be used as a good excuse to stop and catch your breath. After the first bridge you move away from the thundering creek and into the quiet and clam of the forest. After the cool fresh air coming off the creek it can feel downright muggy. The trail continues to climb, switching back and forth. At about the half way mark (about 2600 elevation) is a bench beside a smaller tributary, which makes a nice place for a break. Shortly after the rest stop, you meet back up with Eaton Creek and the real work begins. The grade is considerably steeper for the next 1.5 km, gaining about 1000 ft. The last 1.5 km to the lake is an easy hike crossing a boulder field and two more bridges before reaching the lake at 6.5 km. When you finally do make it up to the lake you are rewarded for your efforts. The lake is beautiful and you will likely have the whole place to yourself. The fishing is absolutely phenomenal. We fished mostly in the river and could have literally scooped up dozens of the most beautiful trout I have ever seen. It was simply a matter or throwing your hook in front of the one you wanted to catch. The river was really shallow so you could see the fish perfectly. There is a nice spot to camp and plenty of peaks around to explore should you feel so inclined. Please note that the photo of the lake is in fact Eaton Lake. The photo was taken from above on a climbing trip. You will not in fact get this view on the trip described. Just thought it was a good shot to include.

Directions:

Considering the ruggedness of the trail, getting there is surprisingly easy. Take Highway 1 to Exit 168. Just before the bridge that crosses Silverhope Creek turn right and take Silver Skagit Road 16.7 km. There's a signpost for the Eaton Creek Forest Recreation Site on your left, turn there. The trailhead starts about 200 meters from the turnoff.

By Posted By: Cus76 - Tue Jul 20 11:11:24 EDT 2010 Upside This hike was a good pump going up with some welcomed switchbacks to help moderate the burn. The waterfall is gorgeous as is the forest scenery as you make the climb. Beautiful shafts of sunlight break through the canopy and contrast the sharp angular breaks of trees and branches. The jewel at the top is the lake nestled in the mountains... and it is COLD! :) Downside Two bridges being out make 2 out of the three crossings a little more challenging. Comment See upside. Worth the hike!

By Posted By: jeffvm - Mon Jul 19 01:11:43 EDT 2010 Upside Beautiful lake walled in by tall, rocky peaks. Plenty of views of creek as the trail winds it's way up to the lake. A few spots at the lake to set up tents. Downside No downside- wished we had a canoe at the lake to cruise around in. Comment A first time hike for this trail. We soldiered up the trail in good time- around three hours. Only when going back down did we really appreciate the consistant, steep grade of the path and how high we had actually hiked.

The trail doesn't stray too far from the creek. There is a beautiful waterfall viewed at the first crossing, and another lookout past the halfway point. The flow was pretty brisk, so we deemed the water safe and delicious to drink. I didn't find the trail too rooty, and the bed isn't rocky which makes it pretty forgiving underfoot. You wont see the lake until the trail takes you right to the shoreline.

BRIDGES: The first bridge is out and replaced by a massive log (pictured here). The second bridge is also out- the creek can be crossed by a small logjam just upstream. After crossing head left to rejoin the trail. The third bridge is intact.

PARKING: There is parking up the small entrance road past the sign for the Eaton Creek Forestry Campground. The road is short, steep, and rutted. Although there were cars and high clearance vehicles from overnight campers up there, I wouldn't risk bottoming out my car to save three minutes of walking to the trailhead. Best to park out on the shoulder of the main road.

By Posted By: bonita91 - Mon Jul 05 14:20:49 EDT 2010 Not Rated Comment Hiked this trail on July 4, 2010. All bridges are open, and trail is clear. Great hike!

By Posted By: kenharrison - Sat Jul 11 12:49:59 EDT 2009 Not Rated Question Trail COnditionsPlanning on this hike this Wednesday, July 15th, 2009. Are the trails clear??? Are the bridges up??

By Posted By: mochajay - Wed Oct 08 22:40:43 EDT 2008 Not Rated Question first bridge to eatonjust wonderin if any one has hike to eaton latley? how is that first bidge i heard it was unsafe to cross? please let me know

By Posted By: jkd_design - Fri Jul 18 16:12:00 EDT 2008 Not Rated Upside The long steep climb is well worth it when you come out of the woods onto the Lake. We hiked it on July 16 2008 and the insect situation was almost non existent. Once you are at the lake the Whiskey Jacks come to visit and will eat out of your hand, try not to overfeed them though, it's best to let wildlife fend for itself although from what I have read this is a common trait in these birds.
As it is not right next to the city and we were there on a Wednesday we pretty much had the mountain to ourselves. Peace and quiet are always an upside. Downside A hard steep climb, a lot of roots to easily trip you up. We were not in the best shape and took quite a few breaks on the way up....fewer on the way down, but we made it...which means pretty much anyone can, hehe. Comment I was happy to find out (by a hiker passing us) that the distance was only about 4km one way not the 6.5 that I thought. That was quite encouraging when we thought we weren't going very far very fast. One day I will hike it again with a proper GPS and measure it properly. The elevation gain is pretty much spot on though which can easily be seen on a topographical map or Google Earth. I'd recommend this hike, but be ready for a hard day.

By Posted By: miraage - Mon Jun 16 03:00:37 EDT 2008 Not Rated Upside Looks like a good hike... Will try again later :) Downside When we visited today, the first bridge with the one-sided rail was rolled over about 45 degrees. That and the wet logs due to the still strong current made it difficult to cross. We considered fording or crossing over the large fallen tree but decided against it out of safety concerns. Ended up driving to the skyline II trail about 30km further down Siiver Skagit road.

By Posted By: vbeliak - Tue Sep 25 17:51:37 EDT 2007 Upside There is free camping available at beginning and end of the trail at the lake. The hike isn't tough. Beautiful forest, gorgeous lakes. Lots of mushrooms this time of year. No crowds! Downside If you're driving a normal passenger car, then you will probably hit the underneath of your car while turning into the Recreational area (going over a small gap in the road). Go slowly and sideways to minimize the impact. The rest of the road is pretty good. Comment I enjoyed this trail a lot. It is not a hard one, because the surface of the trail is rather flat, with not many roots/rocks. It is well maintained, easy to follow and not too steep, just alright. Elevation gain is a little over 3000 ft. I did it in 3 hours going up, with a normal pace and about a 20lbs pack. 1.5 hours going down with fast pace. You also cross the creek 3 times. The first crossing is done over a fallen tree with no railings to hold on to. Lots of fun! But it can be crossed by going over branches and rocks in the creek, if you're afraid you will slip; although you may get wet. The lake/mountain scenery is the best I've seen so far. Very tranquil and relaxing, just like a painting. And don't forget your fishing gear! There is trout in there.

By Posted By: Jesticle - Mon Aug 13 03:07:26 EDT 2007 Upside Pretty cool little trail. A few log bridges to cross, a couple waterfalls to take pictures of, and a nice lake to cool off in. Took us about 5.5 hours round trip in one day (2hrs45min up, half hour lunch, 2hrs15min down). Downside As a beginning hiker, I found the constant uphill battle to be challenging, but worked up a good sweat at a medium-fast pace. Comment Great success!
Helped condition us for the next hike.
Bring plenty of water.

By Posted By: lbcgreg - Tue Aug 07 16:29:37 EDT 2007 Upside A beautiful lake with lots of small trout. Good amount of campsites. The lake is relatively warm in the mid-summer....great for a swim. Downside A hard, steep hike. Took us 4 hrs with a weekend pack, up the mountain with many breaks. You need to be in great shape. Lots of flies. Comment Don't let the hike discourage you, the lake is untouched and amazing. The hike also offers a few views of the creek and waterfalls. Even if there are lots of people up there, you should be able to find a nice camping spot.

By Posted By: otto - Fri Aug 11 15:40:10 EDT 2006 Upside Beautiful views... nice swimming... fun, sweaty hike (packed for overnight)... not many bugs. Downside 4 Stupid Yahoos with guns.. firing them off... finally asked them what they were shooting at... that hunting season was not on in this area.. and that this was a Public Area and, thus, NO DISCHARGE OF FIREARMS ALLOWED. The stupid yahoos packed up and left... but not after ruining everyone's beautiful morning.
NOTE: if you see a number of cars parked at the start of the trail, know that you may not have a spot to camp... only a couple of sites available. Best during the week.

By Posted By: rmartin - Mon Sep 05 14:34:04 EDT 2005 Upside Went up for the 3rd time this year, overnight. The weather was fall cool and wet but refreshing. Someone has done some good work on the trail... right on! It was Manitoba's first trip in the BC mountains... He is addicted. Flatlander did well. Downside A whole pile of new garbage, beer bottles and cans, junk. pretty sad. Packed out what I could.
The wasps were viscious. A bear we never saw, but heard, was raiding the nests ahead of us. By the time we walked by they were in a tizzy. I got it 11 times and the dogs got worse, from five nests. Comment Still an awesome hike. Bugs were worse than normal this year but never bad around the lake. Fish are smaller than years past, perhaps they had a bad winter kill in a prev. year. There was many small fish <8 in.

By Posted By: westons - Thu Apr 07 20:57:04 EDT 2005 Upside Four bridges, two waterfalls, and an energetic trek. Downside Two feet of snow covered the lake, and it was tough going through the white stuff over the final 1.5 km. Comment I will definitely tackle this hike again in the summer.

By Posted By: luv2blost - Tue Mar 08 14:37:23 EST 2005 Upside What a great hike in the skagit valley, I did this one with my hiking partner in early march and although temperatures were fairly warm the lake was still frozen and there was 6-8 inches of snow on the ground. This made the view of the surrounding peaks even more spectacular plus I didn't notice any of the garbage that other reviewers had noted. Downside The lake was frozen so we I couldn't fish Comment Awesome hike, I will return!

By Posted By: jonful - Thu Sep 09 00:42:18 EDT 2004 Upside beautiful lake with a challenging trail and few others to spoil the atmosphere Downside campsite was a disappointment as it has been used as a destinating for grad class campouts (metal plque on tree, and beer cans everywhere) and there are several scars from camp fires for such a small site. Comment the fishing was great as i landed 4 good size trout in about an hour, however as i was cooking up dinner, a severe electrical storm rolled in and i saw several lightening strikes on the peaks surrounding the lake. needless to say, it was time to leave.

By Posted By: Duke - Thu Aug 19 22:24:37 EDT 2004 Upside Beautiful lake with good fishing. Beautiful mountain views. Downside Had run in with a resident black bear...Had to use "bear banger" Comment Intense hike with not much view but the lake is an excellent reward!!!

By Posted By: pkevans - Tue Jun 08 14:22:39 EDT 2004 Upside Not very many people and a beautiful lake. Downside The hike in can be brutal (with a pack) and if you go at the wrong time of year you may not see the sun until 10 in the morning Comment I didn't notice much in the way of bugs, but then I did this hike in late fall. Felt like the grind without the crowds. Very physically demanding.

By Posted By: rmartin - Wed Aug 20 09:08:38 EDT 2003 Upside Took my kids on a trip up, 9 and 11, never having hiked with a heavy loaded pack. It took more than 6 hours, but they pulled it off. Now they know they might encounter longer, but few steeper. Downside The grad class in 1982 partied left a sign on a tree... and a lot of garbage around and in the lake. Beer cans and bottles. Packed out some, but hope to go back for more sometime. Note...the garbage situation is getting better, not worse. Thanx. Comment Great hike. No bugs this trip. A lot busier of trail than when i first did it in 1988.

By Posted By: mutt - Sat Jun 07 16:08:36 EDT 2003 Upside Beautiful, challenging, some good exploring possibilities. Campsites with great views especially early in the season with snow still on the surrounding peaks. Downside Terribly short and a nasty grunt. A couple of the bridges are questionable if you don't like hieghts. Comment There was a disturbing amount of garbage at the lake. If you find any pack it out along with your own. Keep it beautiful and bear freindly.

By Posted By: Glenstr - Wed May 28 01:12:47 EDT 2003 Upside very nice lake, and there is a trail access from the other end of it as well, used to be a road from the hope slide going in, but is likely closed / washed out now. better fishing at that end, with a small creek running in to the lake. lake is shallow on the edges on the hope-slide end, excellent flyfishing! Downside I first went there in about 1968 or 69 when the centennial trail was put in, in the last 20 years have only made it once! Comment one of my favorite places, the fact that it is hard to get to is even better. when I first went in the late 60's the pond you first get to was about 4' deep and you could see schools of trout about 12" and bigger cruising about, to this date I have not seen a site like that. We often stopped there, fishing the creek up to the lake, in years later we went in from the hope slide, no marked trail, but very rewarding once you were there. you can get to that end of the lake from the silver/skagit end, but is a real hike, it is a long lake!

By Posted By: ahick - Fri Jul 26 14:21:45 EDT 2002 Upside The lake is beautiful (and very refreshing, but only if it is very hot). Campsites are great. Relatively easy access. Not many people. Downside A real gruelling hike with a full pack. Certainly not for the uninitiated. Comment We did this hike on July 20, 2002 and the weather was pefect. We stayed overnight and there was one other group camping beside us. The hike is definitely worthwhile doing, if you are physically up for it. It took us 2 1/4 hours up and 1 3/4 down the next day. It is an excellent training hike for any multi day expedition.

By Posted By: Kodiak - Tue Jul 09 10:09:56 EDT 2002 Upside Grouse grind without the crowds. Good trail all the way to lake. Beautiful campsites by the edge of lake. Side trips possible from the lake.Great fishing in creek. Downside Would be a real grunt to carry a pack for the night. Comment A hike everyone should do !
Carry bug spay for around the lake.